


Ocean and Sky

by GlutuipGapaar



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Awkward Flirting, F/F, Fairy, Fantasy, Friends to Lovers, Language Barrier, Original Character(s), Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Puppy Love, Ratings: G, Ratings: PG, Slow Build, Slow Burn, f/f - Freeform, faerie - Freeform, mermaid
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-01
Updated: 2018-05-03
Packaged: 2019-03-25 11:38:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13833486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlutuipGapaar/pseuds/GlutuipGapaar
Summary: (My first attempt to publish anything in years.  Looking to test the waters, and for constructive feedback or ideas!)Journey to the timeless continent of Aldurin, a fantasy landscape where two suns hang in the sky, magic and mystery still abound, and where the Fifth Age of the world has finally brought about peace and prosperity.During this time too comes exploration, and a young Mermaid wanderer by the name of Bluet is anxious to discover the new world. But she, like most explorers in this sort of tale, finds more than she ever imagined.Take part in what should be a tale of love, compromise, and wonder, if I ever get to finish it.  If not, sorry about that.





	1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

It was a beautiful day in the kingdom’s skies and waters above. Two suns shone brilliantly down through the ocean, dappling the reefs on the seafloor with rings of light. Life of every color and kind swam lazily amongst the forests of coral, taking in the warmth from above. And through the scene darted a young girl. She stopped at the base of a giant tower of kelp, pulling her stone knife from behind her ear. Mara had asked her to grab a basket of the leaves near the base for soup tonight while she was out. It was always soup for dinner in her family. But she supposed that it only made sense, with so much water around them. When she had hacked off the nicest leaves from the base, she tossed them and the knife into the basket, and looked up at light on the surface. There would still be plenty of time before dinner tonight. Might as well not waste any.

A quick about-face put her back on the path winding through the seaweeds. This was one of the larger trees in the forest, and there was a great view of her town from the top. But she swam past the tree, into where the kelp and the coral grew together into brambles. The thickets tended to stop people who were only passing through, but adventurers like herself could find their way through without too much difficulty. But as soon as she was past the thickets, all the seaweed and the coral stopped without a trace. In a wide ring, only seagrass grew on the coarse sand, fluttering in the current. A loose ring of heavy pillars of stone stood in the middle of the clearing, with a line of fifteen more stones cutting directly through the middle, and between them swam a number of small schools of fish, drifting this way and that. She couldn't imagine how any one mermaid could put all of these stones into place, or what they were for. Maybe they meant something in a secret language from long ago. Maybe they marked the site of some robber’s buried hoard. But whatever the case, there was something enchanting about the clearing. It was the kind of place where you could go again and again and still feel intrigued.

But she couldn't stay forever. There was still one thing she had to do first. Tuep had insisted on meeting today at the base of the mesa, something about really big news. Try as she may, the girl had been unable to pry the secret from her, so she could only hope that this secret was as big as Tuep had promised.

The kelp forest began to clear, and the coral began to grow larger as she neared the center of the town. Up ahead, she could see the old mesa, but Tuep didn’t seem to be nearby. All she could see were the grown-ups of the town, swimming along on their menial business. She kicked into a sprint, dashing past the old stone houses until she was directly over the massive coral table. She dove down, looking left and right to try and find Tuep. Maybe she’d arrived early, the girl thought. She turned to look up at the reef, but found a pair of hands closing gently over her eyes.

“Guess who?” a voice said from immediately behind her.

The girl giggled. “Tuep, you have to stop doing that.” The hands lifted, and she turned around.

Tuep smiled, her black hair billowing in the water. “But you’re so easy to catch by surprise.”

The girl kissed Tuep’s cheek in greeting. “Speaking of surprises… you still haven’t told me what the big deal about today is, what’s going on?”

Tuep gasped. “Oh, Bluet, you won’t believe it, Fara just told me the news yesterday!”

“News from your fara?” Bluet said. Tuep’s father was always the first to hear news around these waters, it seemed. Usually news about the world outside theirs too.

“Some of the ambassadors he’s been working with, the ones from… Eldurn, I think, I don’t know, they’ve been talking about gates again…”

Bluet sighed. “Tuep, I know about the portals, didn’t they do that years ago?”

“No, no, it’s more than that, this is new!” Tuep said. “It used to be they could only do it on the up-high, remember? If they tried opening the gates to us, you had all of this water spilling out, that’s why we never heard anything from them after that, but _now_. They work in the sea too! They took some kind of magic secret from this place I’ve never heard of before, and now they work in the sea!”

Bluet’s eyes widened. They fixed the portals? She was struck breathless by the ideas, by all the possibilities that this opened up. “Do you know what this means?” Tuep said in elation. Of course Bluet knew what it meant, but she couldn’t tell where to begin. “It means… I've got a lot more exploring to do,” she said, smiling brightly.

“Yes! It means we can finally see the up-high ourselves! We don’t even have to worry about crossing the chasm anymore, it’s right there, just like you always dreamed!”

Bluet laughed, hugging Tuep tightly. “Tuep, this is wonderful, thank you! I don’t even know where to begin, I have to tell Mara!” She turned around to swim home, but Tuep spoke again.

“Fara says he’s taking me as part of the big ceremony. I don’t know if he’ll let me bring anyone along, it’s a really big deal. But I promise to tell you everything about the up-high I can, okay?”

“Yes, thank you Tuep!” Bluet said, “I have to go home to Mara now, but thank you for telling me, this is amazing!” Bluet turned around and zipped away, her heart feeling ready to float to the surface. She remembered the first time she’d broken the surface of the water. All of that world below, and in the up-high… nothing. Nothing for miles. But now, she could finally see what the world out there really looked like. She had always tried to imagine it based on the way Tuep’s fara had described the long voyages. Places where the ocean floor just rose up past the up-high, corals and kelps more colorful than anything like she had ever seen down here. Most of the creatures just walked around on the ocean floor up there, she’d been told, except for a few that swam from coral to coral. It was all so weird. But now she didn’t have to speculate, she thought to herself. If only Mara would let her see. Down below, she could see their little outcropping in the rock. She dove down, pushing aside the old anacharis curtains and swimming inside.

Bluet’s mother was in the corner, fiddling with a pair of sunstones to cook dinner. She seemed shorter now than she used to be, Bluet thought, but her tail was always so long and graceful. Even now, she cut a regal figure. “Mara, I’m home,” she called out.

Her mother turned around. “Oh, Bluet! You're home early today, I thought you'd be spending the day with your friend.”

“Just a quick visit,” Bluet said.

Her mother smiled. “Well, that works out. You're just in time to help me with these cursed stones.”

Bluet swam into the kitchen, setting down her basket of seaweed and picking up the old stones Mara had set on the countertop. They'd become worn out and chipped up after this much time. Bluet kept telling her to buy new ones, but Mara insisted they need time to age well. And besides, these would still work, if you hit them just right…

She cracked the two stones against each other, and they ignited with a warm red glow. They were still cool, for now, but she’d have to get them under the pot pretty quickly.

“So, what did you and Tuep talk about today?” Mara said.

“Oh, her father just brought back news from the up-high!” Bluet said. “They’re supposed to have a connection from their world to our village soon!”

“That is good news!” her mother said. But Bluet recognized the tone in her voice, not dismissive, but decidedly passive. Mara never cared much about the upper world, not like Bluet did. She started to think this might not have been a good idea.

“I’m excited,” Bluet said, pausing as her mother cut through the kelp leaves. “I was hoping to go there myself soon. Now that we don’t have to swim the whole way.”

Bluet could hear her mother’s knife stop against the stone countertop. “Bluet, I’m sorry, but we’ve talked about this.”

Bluet had to be very careful to keep her voice collected. If it ever came to raised voices, her mother would always win. “Mara, it’s different now. It’s not dangerous like it used to be, you don’t have to worry about me anymore!”

“It’s not the journey that worries me, sweetheart,” Mara said, turning back to the leaves. “And I’m not one of those ‘the overworld is dangerous’ nuts either, you know that, it’s just that you’re so young still, and I don’t want you so far away from home on your own. Is that so hard to grasp?”

“Mara, I’m not that young anymore,” Bluet said, “I’ll be fine out there.”

Mara laughed to herself. “Bluet, I know you don’t feel it, but you’ve still got a lot of growing to do. You’re, what, seventeen now? You remember what happened to Ariel in the old tales, and she was your age.”

“I remember,” Bluet said, trying not to sound superior, “she lived happily ever after with the prince from the up-high, and finally convinced her father that it wasn’t as dangerous above as he had thought.”

“Oh… is that how they’re telling it these days?” Bluet’s mother mused. “Look, if this is about some magical prince from the up-high, just think about all that you have down here. I know it’s hard to be forced to wait, but there’s plenty of fish in the sea. What about Tuep? She’s such a charming young girl.”

“Mara, the prince isn't the point,” Bluet sighed. She couldn’t help but blush, though. There was no denying that Tuep was charming. “It’s just that there's so much out there! All these years, all that's ever been beyond the reef was water, and I don't want to live like that anymore.”

“Darling, I understand,” Mara said. “It's natural to be restless at your age. But just be patient, okay? That world will open up to you eventually.”

Bluet sighed. It wasn't any use. “Okay. I understand.” She turned to leave, but stopped herself. “Do you need any help with dinner?”

“You’ve had a long day, get some rest. I’ll call you when dinner’s ready.”

Bluet turned back, and swam away from their little cleft in the rock.

* * *

“—And then she started talking about Ariel, again, like I haven’t heard _that_ before.” Bluet sighed. “I don’t get it, what’s so bad about that story anyway?”

“Nuffing’th bad abou’ it, it’th a clathic,” Tuep said, spitting out the comb in her mouth. “The story of a mermaid sacrificing everything to save the prince she loved. It’s really poetic.”

Bluet sat up. “Wait, sacrificing?”

“Hold still,” Tuep said, running her fingers through Bluet’s hair. “But yeah, she totally dies in the end.” Tuep peered over her shoulder. “You heard the one with the talking crab companion in it, didn't you?”

Bluet rolled her eyes. “Apparently. But still, it's not like that! I'm not some hatchling looking for a magical prince, and she thinks I'm still a child.”

“I know how that feels,” Tuep said.

Bluet turned around. “But your fara’s letting _you_ go!”

“I told you to hold still!” Tuep said with a grin. “I'm gonna yank all this pretty hair out if you're not careful.”

Bluet turned back around, smiling to herself. “You’d better give me the scoop on what it’s like up there.”

“Promise,” Tuep said. “Fara tells me when the floor rises past the up-high, you can't even swim anymore! You just have to sit there until this magical transformation starts. Your fins get all tingly, and before you know it, your beautiful tail is replaced with these weird… I don't even know what to call them. They're like those things crabs have. But everything up there has to have them, it's the only way to get around.”

Bluet winced. “Ooh, that sounds painful.”

“It's not so bad, really,” Tuep said. “Just don't look down at it, one guy almost puked.”

Bluet giggled. “I'll remember that. What can you do when you're in the up-high, though? I mean, it's gotta be pretty, but what else did you hear?”

“Oh, it is,” Tuep said. “Everything is so green. But there’s lots of other colors too. And then there’s the things that live up there. The creatures make so much noise up there, but there’s people too!” Tuep smiled. “You could find your ‘prince’ after all.”

Bluet groaned. “Tuep, not you too…” She looked back at Tuep, careful not to turn. “What are they like?”

“Well, for one thing, they’re supposed to be a lot bigger when you don’t have your tail. They’re also really formal with everything. Maybe it was just the delegation, but they didn’t laugh, or smile, or anything.” She straightened her back and squinted her eyes. “Siren Tuep, Ambassador to the Merkingdom,” she said in a stuffy foreign accent, “It is a great honor to at last meet eyes with you.” She bowed low, her face almost touching the sandy floor.

Bluet puffed up her chest and chortled. “Oh, good lady, the pleasure is all mine, tut tut tut.” They both laughed, and Bluet looked up at the ocean waves above. “Oh, Tuep, it sounds like I simply must see it.”

“Your mara’s gonna come around, just give her some time,” she said.

Bluet only chuckled to herself. She didn't need time. Already, the plan was buzzing through her head. She'd make it to the new world. And she'd do it tonight.

* * *

The sea was so much different at night. Sure, it was dark. And Mara had always told her about the creatures that roamed around at night, monstrous fish, gentle giants, even the dragons. But there was something else about the world at night. Something that Bluet had never quite been able to put her finger on. Maybe it was the silence. Or the way the light shone so differently across all the same old landmarks. But the night had always felt full of adventure to her. And this night would be the start of the most adventurous thing she'd ever done. She took a deep breath, and looked up, watching the moonlight filter down through the rocky caves. Now or never.

She swam up through the rocks, careful not to kick too loudly, and kept going; past the reefs, past the roving schools of fish, up until she could see the whole reef face below her, moonbeams dancing in rings across the ocean floor. Behind her, far off on the edge of the horizon, was the gentle glow of the Merkingdom’s capital, the one city down here that never slept. But that was another adventure for another time. In front of her, just past the edge of the rock, was a bright blue ring of light, distant, but piercingly bright against the dark water. It started out as just a glimmer, but as Bluet approached, the ring grew larger and larger. As she came to a stop, once again just over the ocean floor, a ring of staghorn coral loomed over her, wide enough for a score of merfolk to enter through. But tonight it would be only her.

She puffed up her chest, staring down the shimmer of light. Mara would be furious if she knew about this, she thought to herself. If she went back now, she could always wait until Tuep took her. But she’d had this debate before, and it always ended the same way. If she didn’t do this now, she’d never get another chance. Bluet closed her eyes, and before she could change her mind she swam through the portal. She braced herself for a magical stretching or tingling feeling; she always imagined that portals would hurt somehow. But instead she passed through as if it were a hole in a wall, only on the other side she found herself falling a short distance into waist deep water.

She sputtered on a mouthful of sand, and rubbed her eyes. So this was the coast of… what did Tuep call it? Alderaan? The suns were still in the sky here. It was morning, no, evening, she assumed. The light was coming from behind her, turning the sandy beachscape into a mosaic of shadows. As she pushed herself up out of the water, the rest of the landscape began to take shape. Tuep’s rumors were right, there was so much green here. It was a green she'd never seen before, so bright and almost piercing to her eyes. Something cold was biting at her back as she looked around. She guessed that it had to be the wind. She'd felt wind in her hair before, but there was never so much of it everywhere. Bluet felt something scrape her fins and found that she had drifted towards the shore. She tried to swim back out, but she could only flip idly in the surf. Why didn't her fins didn't work here? Tuep mentioned something about this, didn't she?

Bluet could barely afford the time to think about their conversation yesterday when the cold wind nipped at her fins again. But it was different this time, so much colder. It dug into her skin and kept going. She looked down at her tail, and jumped back in a fright. She had forgotten that you weren't supposed to look down. Bluet averted her eyes, but the mental image of her tail just vanishing, peeling away into white light, was all she could focus on. She looked up at the darkening pink sky, trying to count her breaths until it was over.

The cold sting faded quickly, but she didn't want to risk looking again, in case something had gone horribly wrong. She sat in the undulating tide, looking up at a sky that had faded to lavender. Eventually, a rogue wave crashing over her face forced her hand, and Bluet thrust herself back up. She finally chanced a look down. But it wasn't a grotesque picture that met her eyes. Her tail, once all silvery blue, and sleek, sharp lines, had completely disappeared. In its place, Bluet could only describe them as smaller tails. They were almost pink, as if still smarting from some small injury. But they weren't horrible at all. They were almost charming, she thought. She tried to kick at the air again. Nothing. She looked around at the sand. It looked like nothing else here could swim either.

She kicked again, more violently, but she still couldn't move. Would she be stuck here forever, like those brown hairy things embedded in the sand? Her breath was caught in her throat. A small noise of worry fell from her lips. It wasn't long until she was sobbing openly. She should have listened to Mara. She could have been home, sleeping peacefully, instead of waiting to die here alone, in water that didn't even work like it did at home. And it was all her fault. She sniffled, her face buried in the sand. How long would it take? She knew it was a horrible thing to think about, but still, she had to wonder. Maybe she'd just turn into one of those hairy things on the beach, and lay here forever.

But then, there was a noise, just up the water’s edge. She snapped her head up from the sand, looking this way and that. She couldn't see anything, her eyes were filled with tears and sand. But there was the noise again, much closer now. It was a voice. Bluet called out to whoever could hear her, “Someone, help! I can’t move, please!” She blinked the grit from her eyes, and on one side, she could hear a pat pat pat, like a really big lobster walking through the sand next to her. She felt something touch her shoulder and started, curling up into a fetal position. She looked up again. And she found she couldn't stop looking.

A girl’s head hung over her, framed by a gentle blue sky. The girl was speaking to her. Or, rather, she was saying words which Bluet couldn't understand.

“Er yun tal?” the girl said, “Mai soni’ip yun voca’in, yun crea mai oro.”

Bluet didn't know how to respond to this. Everything was happening so quickly, and she couldn't move, and now there was this person trying to talk to her, this person who was glowing under the first glimpses of moonlight. Bluet found that the only natural response was to start crying again.

This only worried the girl even more. “Nan, mak’an et” she said, looking over her shoulder, “Mai syr dika sitan yun...” The girl sat there, running a hand through the hair on the side of her face. After a moment of deliberation, she reached down, and grabbed Bluet on either side. Bluet jumped, looking desperately at this stranger who had just started to lift her out of the sand. What was she doing, why could she move now, was this girl magical? As the girl started to tilt Bluet’s legs to face the beach, the questions became panicked demands, don't drop me, don't put me down now, don't—

Her feet touched the beach. Bluet looked over at the girl holding her, and realized that her feet were also resting on the beach, flat against the sand. Bluet slowly lowered herself from the girl’s arms, placing just a little more force onto her feet with every second. After a moment, she found she was standing completely on her feet. They wobbled weakly beneath her weight, but it was enough to keep her up. She allowed herself to laugh, looking down at the way her toes sunk into the sand.

The girl next to her laughed too. “Gnata. Et er nan uta sin. Mak yun tem dika stroa?”

Bluet, of course, had no idea what this meant. But she turned to look at the girl, who was smiling back at her now, as she took a few steps away. Bluet didn't want her to leave, but after a few steps, the girl stopped, and held out her arms. Bluet stared vacantly at this gesture for a moment. She held her arms out in the same way, but the girl only laughed, and waved her arms towards herself. “Na na na, apra dika mai!”

Bluet looked down at the girl’s feet, trying to comprehend the motion of them. She lifted one foot off the ground, and fell forward. The girl leaped ahead, scooping her up just before she fell onto the sand. Once again, Bluet found herself looking up at this stranger, this cosmically beautiful stranger, the girl with eyes sharp and bright like a conch shell. Her heart was beating faster now. The stranger let her stand again, and walked just a few paces away. Bluet was more careful to look at her feet now, the way they alternated one in front of the other, and never seemed to stop for too long. It was scary how fast they had to move for this to work. But she took a deep breath, and put her right foot forward. She set it back down on the sand, and found she was still standing. That was a step, good. She took another step with her right foot, but quickly realized the awkwardness of this stance. She took another step, left foot this time, then right. She looked up. There was the girl again, cheering her on. Her words were so sharp and strange, but her voice was… beautiful. She took another step, left, right, left. She was almost running now. Her feet stung, but all she could feel was this giddiness at having gotten everything right. She took off at full speed towards the girl, and caught her, spinning her around by the waist as they both laughed. “I can't believe this, thank you!” Bluet said, somewhat hoarsely. It was the first time she'd spoken since this stranger had arrived.

The stranger noticed too, and looked at Bluet with something between sympathy and confusion. “Mai er lagi, mai mak’an solom oba yun er loshi’in.”

Bluet sighed, only mostly from the confusion. She really didn't know what to do here. She wasn't stuck up here on this land anymore, but still she felt… scared? That was the only thing she knew that made her heart dance like this. But she was too happy to be scared. Right?

From further up the beach, someone started shouting. They both turned, and saw another figure in the distance, tall and sharp like the girl, but filled with anger in their tone. The girl’s face went pale, and she turned back to Bluet. “Yun kwyr rylou, vyum’ru,” she whispered. Bluet didn't understand, but she could see the figure coming closer. The girl stood, dragging Bluet to her feet. “Rylou, rylou!” she said, pointing to the ocean behind them. Bluet saw the figure coming closer, and finally she understood. She turned around, running as fast as she could through the thick ocean waves before she dove under the surface of the water. Just as her tail reformed in the water, she flung herself through the ring of light. The girl on the shore saw one last glimpse of Bluet’s fluke over the waves before she disappeared back into the sea.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After her mysterious encounter with the world above the waves, Bluet has to find out how to overcome their language barrier and her mother's eye to meet her beautiful stranger once more.

# Chapter 2

The next morning, Bluet wandered aimlessly through the local market, her tail almost dragging on the sandy bottom. Last night had been long, and strange, but of course Mara didn't know, so of course Bluet wasn't about to get any sort of break on the chores.  It wasn't that the marketplace was at all a bad place, usually it was Bluet’s favorite errand. It was just so… loud all the time.  Hagglers, musicians, merfolk having to shout to hear each other over the din. But if she were fast enough here, she might have enough time to get to the library.  Hopefully they would have something interesting on foreign languages. Someone bumped into her shoulder, and on instinct, Bluet said “excuse me.”

“Bluet!” the person next to her shouted.

She turned around, and there was Tuep, her speckled grey tail flicking idly through the water. “I didn't expect to see you here, how are you?”

Bluet smiled back weakly.  “Tuep, hey.  I’m… fine.”

Tuep raised an eyebrow. “Really?  Because I'm gonna be honest, you look terrible.”

“Yeah, yeah, I just didn't sleep well last night. At all.” Bluet said.  “Oh, actually, I’m glad you're here.  I have a question for you.”

“Sure!” Tuep said, “what is it?”

“What language do they speak in the up-high?”

Tuep looked at her curiously. “I think they call it ‘Nito’tude’… why do you ask?”

“Just curious,” Bluet said, looking behind her, “I'm sorry, I have to go, I wanted to run a special errand today.”  She turned around, but immediately she felt a hand grab her by the shoulder.

“Nuh-uh,” Tuep said, “you've always been a bad liar, I know you're not telling me something.  Why would you know they speak a different language up there if I never told you?”

Bluet looked absentmindedly over her shoulder. “I dunno, it just kind of made sense?”

Tuep only raised her eyebrows again in response.  “...Fair… but I’m not buying it.”  Tuep sighed.  “I’ll let you run your errand, but you’d better tell me what’s going on, okay?  I don’t like you suddenly being mysterious on me.”

“Promise!”  Bluet said, already swimming away.

* * *

 

A couple of nights later, Bluet lay awake in her bed. Mermaids almost never wrote anything down, they preferred to pass on the important things in songs and stories. But she had finally found an old Nito’tude phrasebook amongst the archives, and whenever she could, she would practice the phrases she liked most for the next trip. “Hello!  I am glad to see you.   _Prava!  Mai er ieta dika hura yun._ ” “I am sorry, I do not speak very good Nito’tude. _Mai er lagi, mai mak’an loshi Nito’tude tal_ .” “I think you are very beautiful. _Mai sitar yun er uta awin_.” She doubted that she would ever get the chance to say that last one, but for some reason, she had practiced it most of all.  

She took a deep breath.  Okay, Bluet.  Now or never.  Well, again.  She dove out of the rocky outcropping, and found the swim to the staghorn ring took no time at all.  Now that she’d been through the ring of light once before, the short fall into the water was much less of a shock.  A quick look around revealed that it was darker now than it had been the first time.  The Mother Moon was just cresting the horizon, and the sky was already faded to blue.  But the girl was nowhere to be seen.  Should she try calling for help again?  That didn’t seem like a good way to get off on good terms.  But fortunately, the evening light revealed a flicker of warmth a little way up the beach.  She swam around the ring of blue light floating halfway above the waves, and as she approached, the flicker turned into a bungalow stretching out over the sea. A small pier was lit on either side by… what were they called?  They glowed like the stones Mara used for cooking, but jumped about as if trying to catch something. But illuminated by their light was a lone figure, dipping their toes into the ocean.  It had to be her. Bluet put a hand on her chest, as if the gesture would calm her heart, and swam closer.  

Her head bobbed up a couple of feet away from where the girl’s feet drifted idly in and out of the surf, but she was too busy looking up at something in the sky to notice her.  All of a sudden, Bluet’s collections of plans for their first encounter vanished from her brain. What was she supposed to say now?  She cleared her throat to say the greeting she had memorized, and the girl jumped back with a gasp, splashing Bluet in the face as her feet flew back up onto the dock. She stared down at Bluet, less scared now, but still very confused. Bluet found herself petrified, and somehow feeling even less prepared than before. Her head pleaded that she would just say something, _anything_ to break the ice, before she finally spat out, “Mai sitar yun er uta awin!”   _Crap._ Anything but that would have been fine. She dipped even lower in the water, hoping that she could hide her utter shame from the girl.

The girl's eyes widened, and she smiled at Bluet with a small, bewildered laugh. “Edra?” she said.

Bluet found herself looking everywhere but at the girl’s face as the rest of her phrases came back to mind. “Lagi. Mai mak’an-”

The girl smiled, and held up her finger.  She pushed herself up from the dock, and darted into the warmly lit house, leaving Bluet alone in the water to wonder what just happened. Did she say something wrong?  Well, of course she did, starting with “Wow, you're pretty!” instead of “Hi, remember me?” But after a moment, the girl returned, holding an old little book in her hands. She sat down and started rifling through the pages.  “It is… good.” she said, turning to another section, “Father… tells me you… speak Gale. Yes?” she said, glancing up from the text to look at Bluet.

Bluet could only stare open mouthed in wonder. _Oh my stars, you beautiful being_.  “Yes, yes!” she said after a moment of silence, “I wanted to—”. She stopped herself, realizing that the poor girl wouldn't be able to translate her words fast enough, and started again a little slower. “I wanted to learn some things to say to you too. But I forgot them.”

“But you… remember… how say I am beautiful?” the girl said.

Bluet could feel the temperature rising in her cheeks. “I practiced that one a lot,” she muttered.

The girl smiled.  “Do you think so?”

Bluet froze.  No, no, no, no, what was she supposed to say now?   “You’re like no one I’ve seen before,” she finally said.  Her heart hammered against her chest as she could only hope she didn't ruin everything.

The girl flipped through her booklet again. “Thank you! That is very… nice.” She closed the book, and rested her chin on a long, slender hand. Apparently she had tried to memorize some things too. “I am very… happy that you… came back.  I missed you.”

Bluet’s face lit up into a smile.  A hundred different emotions ran through her head, disbelief, joy, still more nervousness.  Her brain came to settle on ‘By the heavens above, I adore you.’ Her mouth settled instead upon “Really?”

The girl sighed, opening the book once more. “Patri-” she laughed. “Sorry, Fara, you say, has much work. I do not have many… friends… because of it.” She smiled again. “But I have you, yes?”

Bluet dipped her face beneath the water again. For whatever reason, it felt vulnerable to be smiling like this all the time. If this girl wasn't careful, Bluet felt like her heart would explode.  After she came back up, she asked “Does he chase them off too?”

The girl stared wide eyed at her, then laughed. “No, no!  I am sorry for that. He does not… like strangers.  Especially ekso’ip strangers, I think.”

Bluet cocked her head to the side. “Ekso’ip?  What does that mean?”

For the first time, the girl on the deck blushed, as she put her fingers against her chin again.  Heavens, she looked adorable. “You know, with no…” and she tugged on the simple green linen over her shoulders.

Bluet hadn't noticed this particular quirk before. But now that she thought back to the night that they first met, it did seem familiar. “Oh, I’m very sorry!  I didn't know that was something your people were supposed to do.”

The girl laughed. “It is okay. I did not know other… people who did not.” She flipped through her old booklet.  “But it seems... you do not have… even a word for them.”

“What do you call them?” Bluet said.

“Our word is Ekli’in.  Cover-ing.”

“Oh, that sounds pretty!” Bluet said.  “Weird.  But pretty.” Bluet adopted a stuffy accent, the one Tuep always used when talking about political jargon. “As ambassador to the Merfolk, I will carry this word to my people.”

The girl laughed. “Oh, Mermaid, you are too funny!”  She looked back into the house behind her. “But I have had… many ambassadors. You can just be friend, yes?”

Something about the way she said this made all of Bluet’s emotion come flooding back to the surface. “Oh.  Um.  Absolutely.”  

The girl looked down at her book. “I am sorry, I do not understand.”

Bluet snapped out of her stupor. “No, that's alright!  Yes.  I can just be a friend.”

The girl did not say anything in response.  But her smile was enough to set Bluet’s heart to racing again.  She looked back into the house behind her, as the chatter of someone inside started to grow louder.  The voice called out, and the girl responded “Ki, Patri?”  The girl’s father spoke again, and the girl cocked her head.  “…guests?” She turned back to Bluet, but Bluet had already hidden herself under the wooden deck.  She poked her head over the edge.  “What are you doing?”

“Your Patri got really mad at me last time!  I’ll come back when he’s gone!”  Bluet whispered.

The girl opened her mouth to reply, but before she could say anything, her father’s voice came again, much louder this time.  “Demi’shi, what are you doing down there?”

“Sorry, Patri!” she said, quickly disappearing from Bluet’s view.  “What need you?”

“These are our ambassadors from the Merkingdom, Sire Druen, and Siren Tuep, I wanted to introduce them to you.”

Bluet almost hit her head against the bottom of the deck.  Did he say Tuep was here?  She’d said she was coming here at some point, but Bluet had forgotten that it could happen now.  Should she say something?  Should she leave?

She heard the same voice again. “Demi’shi, I thought perhaps you two would get along. But I have important business to discuss with the ambassador, we’ll be back shortly, okay?”

Bluet didn't hear a response, but the sound of feet moving briskly away indicated that the two had already left.  “We didn't interrupt anything, did we?” someone else said.  There was no denying that was Tuep’s voice.  Bluet couldn't help but feel vulnerable just listening.  She swam quietly out from underneath the pier, poking her head over the side.  Sure enough, there was Tuep, wearing a vividly purple drape just like the other girl.

“It is… good,” the girl, Demi’shi apparently, replied. “I come out to be alone, sometimes.  But that is rude of me, sorry.”

“Nah, I get it.” Tuep said.  “You don't talk much?”

Demi’shi tapped her fingers on the railing, her face scrunched up in thought. “I don't dislike it? It is only… hard.”

Tuep laughed. “I have a friend kind of like that. She doesn't make plans a whole lot, but when you get her going, she can talk for hours.”

“Oh, what’s she like?”  Demi’shi said.

“She’s a _big_ explorer,” Tuep said, “really… empathetic.  She’s very passionate too.  You’d like her, I think.”

Demi’shi smiled, glancing towards the edge of the pier.  “I… think I would…”  Bluet ducked down, her eyes still looking over the top.  It was weird to just be helpless on the sidelines, but still, she couldn’t help but admire the girl’s quiet composure.  That, and the moonlight filtering into her hair made her look like some kind of solitary angel.

Tuep turned to look out at the water.  “I can see why you like it out here, though.  You get such a nice view of the—” she stopped, squinting down at the water, “Bluet?”

Demi’shi started towards the end of the pier, but Bluet was already gone below the water.

* * *

 

Sleep did not come easily for Bluet that night. It was one thing to stay up dreaming about somebody, and thinking of every possible way the conversation could go.  But she found that it was another matter entirely to lay awake just waiting.  It wasn’t as if Bluet would never see her again, or even have to wait more than a day. But even the day was too long for her. Bluet didn't know what it was about this girl, but every moment away from her felt deprived of happiness somehow, even though she always felt so nervous around her.  

Bluet was still in a daze when Tuep stormed through the door.   “I knew it, I _knew_ it!  And furthermore, _how dare you_ , this was supposed to be _my_ thing!”  For a moment, Bluet was terrified, but her mood changed when she caught Tuep’s grin.  “And I’ll bet that wasn’t even the first time, was it?”

Bluet smiled, out of relief, “Yeah, I went there the night before too.”

“Does your mara know?” Tuep said. Bluet shook her head, and Tuep giggled again.  “Look at you, being such a little rebel!  What did you think?”

Bluet laughed. “It was terrifying!  The time was completely different, I couldn't swim, or even move, and I thought I was going to die a thousand miles from home after getting stuck three feet outside of a portal.”

Tuep gasped.  “Oh, Bluet, I never told you how legs work, I'm sorry!  How'd you figure it out?”

“I had a little help, it's okay.” Bluet said, smiling out the window.

“Really?  How?” Tuep said.  Bluet only gazed at a passing school of fish with a dopey grin unbefitting such a commonplace sight.  Tuep smirked. “Bluet, you’re blushing.”

Bluet turned away from Tuep’s gaze, hoping to block her face from view. “There was this girl…”

Tuep’s eyes widened. “Oh my stars, Bluet!  Tell me everything!” She leaned in closer, as if they were keeping their secret from the coral around them. “And I mean _everything_.”

Bluet sighed, laying down against the rock. “Tuep, where would I begin?” There was so much to say, but Bluet found that it didn't take long. “I remember thinking I was going to be alone on that beach forever when she showed up. The first moon was just starting to rise, and you could see the light shining through her hair, oh, Tuep, she had hair like I'd never seen before. And her _eyes_ , they were…” she stopped. “Stars, I could sit here forever and talk about her. But I don't think I'd ever have the words for her, not really.”

Tuep grinned. “You think so?  I've always known you to have such a way with words.”

“Oh, no, she's way beyond that.” She sighed, resting her chin against her hand.  “It's like trying to… describe an open sky, you know?  I mean, it's blue, just like the ocean, but if you think about it, it's the antithesis of an ocean. It's all patterned, and endless, like an ocean, I guess, but you can't find the _exact_ words to describe that to someone who's never seen a sky before.  And even for just a moment, she was like that.”  Bluet rolled onto her side, looking up at Tuep. “But it was so much more than her face, or her voice, or even her smile…” Bluet paused again, and Tuep couldn't tell if she was thinking of her next words or a particular smile. In any case, the tiredness in Bluet’s eyes was completely gone now. “When I looked at her, it was like nothing I’d ever felt before. Mostly, I felt really scared, or nervous, one of those feelings that mostly eats at your heart. But I didn't want that to go away. I felt so happy to see her smile, too, but it was more than that. I don't know what else to call it.”

Tuep smiled down at her. “I think the word you're looking for there is love, sweetheart.”

Bluet chuckled. “Is that what it feels like?”

“Oh, it feels different for everyone,” Tuep said. “But there's one thing everyone has in common. You can never quite put it into words.”  Her sentimental tone dropped, replaced immediately by her need to know.  “But what about after that, the day when I saw you?  What were you even doing there, of all—” Tuep’s eyes widened, and she laughed.  “Oh, no.  Oh, _no_ , this girl of yours is the ambassador’s daughter, isn't it?  Oh, _that’s_ gonna be fun.  The ambassadors of Alder, or whatever, allow Merfolk of all stripes to enter the up-high, and the first thing we do is start canoodling with their daughters.”

Bluet giggled.  “You make me sound like such a Casanova, I can barely even talk to this girl!  I mean, I memorized a couple of phrases in her language so that we could finally talk to each other, but then as soon as I saw her, I forgot everything I'd been working on. But she had this book with her that she used to talk to me, and Tuep, as soon as she started talking, I swear I fell for her all over again.  So then we started talking about how they have this weird thing they do called… Eklin? They throw random stuff over their bodies so that people can't see them.” She paused. “Which apparently _you_ already knew about.”

Tuep sighed. “I’m always forgetting something, aren't I?  But there's so many weird things up there I'm bound to forget one.” She laughed. “Besides, it must have been pretty odd to see you stuck naked on a beach up there.”

“Her Fara certainly thought so.  He chased me off the first time.”

Tuep laughed.  “Bluet, you've had quite the week!”

Bluet nodded. “I’m what the kids these days call a regular old miscreant.”

Tuep punched her in the shoulder. “You're a regular old dork is what you are.”

Bluet smiled.  “Anyway, when she told me about the covering thing, I told her I'd bring the idea back as an ambassador to my people, mostly to be funny, and Tuep, you won't _believe_ what she said next.”

Tuep leaned onto the edge of her seat, bracing her chin in both hands.  “Go on…”

“Okay, so she said, ‘I've seen lots of ambassadors.  I want you to be my friend.’”

Tuep grinned.  “Oooh!  So do you think she likes you?”

“I don't know!” Bluet said.  “I mean, she told me that she missed me when I first came back. But she's never said anything about being anything other than friends.”

“Well, of course not, you only met her like two days ago, Bluet!  Give her a little time, you charmer.”  She sat back.  “I don’t understand, though, this all sounds like everything went great.  Why are you so upset?”

Bluet sighed.  “This is gonna sound really dumb.”

Tuep smirked.  “Bluet, I’ve been your friend since you learned how to swim, I’ve heard you say a lot of dumb things.”

Bluet rolled her eyes.  “I’m upset because eventually it all had to end.  I mean, I get to see her again tomorrow, but there’s still the leaving, and the moments where all I can do is think about the next time I see her.  Sometimes, I think about there maybe being a time where I never have to leave.  Where we can always be around each other.  And then I think ‘Bluet, it’s only been two days, calm down’, but you know what that’s like, right?”  When Tuep didn’t respond, Bluet huffed.  “Well, maybe not, you seem like you can catch whoever you want.”

“Not _everyone_ ,” Tuep said, “it’s just that I’m not a romantic soul like you are.  But I think I understand what you’re talking about.  Just hang in there, Bluet, she’s bound to come around to you eventually.  And hey, if it doesn’t work out, I’m always here for you.”  Bluet smiled in response, but didn’t speak.  Tuep frowned. “There's one problem about this whole thing, though.”

Bluet sat up. “Problem?”

“If you sneak out once, your Mara might never be the wiser. But now that's there's a girl you've got to see again,” she paused, “and you _are_ gonna see her again… your Mara's gonna find out eventually.”

Bluet sighed.  There were the tired eyes again.  “Tuep, what am I gonna do?  Should I just tell her?”

“How do you tell your Mara something like that?  ‘I’m sorry to say this, but I’ve been sneaking out while you were asleep.  But hey, on the bright side, I have a girlfriend now!’”

“Well, I mean, she has been bugging me about that since I turned 16.”

“Bluet, I know Mara.  She may be happy for you, _maybe_ .  But she’s gonna be way more worried that you’ve been running around behind her back.”  She paused.  “I tell you what, I’m gonna think of something.  It’s probably not gonna be great, because you’re the genius, but I’ll think of something to get your back, if worst comes to worst.  But I need you to find that book, or tablet, or thesaurus, or _whatever_ the library has on this language, find this girl, and you woo the _crap_ out of her for me, you understand?”

Bluet’s face lit up, and she pulled Tuep into a hug.  “Tuep, you are the greatest friend I could ever ask for.”  Bluet gave her an exaggerated kiss on the cheek.  “And don’t you forget it.”

Tuep pushed her away and laughed.  “Save that for Princess Charming.  And don’t forget to get plenty of sleep from here on out, or else I won’t have time to think of something proper.”

Bluet smiled one last time at her, and Tuep swam out of the room. As she left, she touched the spot on her cheek, and smiled.  Whoever this Up-Higher was, she was about to be one lucky girl.  

* * *

 

Bluet poked her head out of the water, looking over at the house perched over the sea.  Demi’shi was perched on the edge of the pier again, looking up at the setting sun.  Bluet didn’t know what it was about the way she always seemed to sit on the pier, but it gave her such an air of mystery and poise.  Bluet debated going for the stealthy approach again, but decided she didn’t want a face full of water.  Instead, she waved at the girl from across the way.  Demi’shi perked up immediately and waved back.  “Awin’ula!  I am... glad to see you!” she said as Bluet swam up to the pier.

Bluet looked back at the sun setting behind her.  “I’m not too early, am I?”

“Never too early.”  Demi’shi replied.

“Good!” Bluet said, “I have a surprise!”  She had memorized this phrase in Nito’tude, as just another touch of emphasis.

Demi’shi cocked her head, looking down at Bluet with a curious expression.  

Bluet almost wanted to keep her in suspense for a little while longer, just to drink in the way Demi’shi’s eyes lit up when she was waiting for something.  But then again, she wasn’t sure how long she would be able to keep this up before it became annoying.  She jumped up onto a rock just next to the pier, and turned to the girl with a flourish.  “Ta-da!  What do you think?”

Demi’shi laughed. “What is this?”

“Covering!” Bluet said. She had spent most of the afternoon looking for clam shells that were roughly the same size, and strung them together with a few strands of kelp. Along the sides she had woven in moon shells and cowries which she thought were particularly pretty.  “Do you like it?”

Demi’shi grinned.  “Bluet, you always surprise me.  I would not think of this.  But yes, you look beautiful.” Bluet’s heart puffed up in her chest at those words.  Demi’shi gasped.  “Oh!  I have surprise for you too!  Can you come up?”

Bluet looked down at her fluke laying across the rock. “Oh.  Uh… if I leave the water for too long, my tail goes away.”

Demi’shi sighed. “I am sorry, I…” she flipped through her booklet, “forgot.  Does this hurt?  Will you be okay?”

Bluet nodded. “Yeah, I'll be okay. It just feels weird.”  Demi’shi reached over the side of the pier, and pulled Bluet up over the side.  Bluet was surprised by the way the pier felt beneath her, firm like a rock, but also twisted, and almost sharp against her skin.  But beyond the pier itself, everything outside of the water felt sharp and foreign.  She remembered the first night that she had washed up here, how the wind had bitten against her skin in places she had never felt so acutely before.  It was like that up here too, but Bluet found that having Demi’shi close to her took away the harshness of the air.  Demi’shi looked over at her, notes of concern marking her face. Bluet tried to break the tension with a gentle smile, but she could tell that she looked too nervous for it to be a very reassuring gesture.

Her tail began to gleam white, and Bluet closed her eyes, turning her head up to the darkening sky. The bone-chilling coldness of it wouldn't be so bad, as long as she didn't look down. But as soon as she closed her eyes, Bluet felt something close around her hand.  She jumped back, looking down at the offending grasp, and found Demi’shi’s hand wrapped around her own. Demi’shi was still looking at her, her eyes worried that she had done something wrong with this consoling gesture.  But Bluet squeezed her hand tighter, a small, wordless gesture to say that she was alright. Demi’shi smiled, and Bluet found that she couldn't focus on the transformation of her tail even if she tried. Her mind was caught between the smile on Demi’shi’s face, warm and consoling like moonlight, and _holy crap_ , the way her hands felt. Bluet felt bad for having such a firm grip on something so delicate, but if Demi’shi was bothered by this, she hid it well.

Bluet chanced a glance down, and saw the last sparks of light drifting away from her feet.  There was something funny about the way Demi’shi looked down at her legs too. “Magical…” she said.

Bluet grinned.  “Really?  I like yours better, but if you think so.”

Demi’shi laughed. “No, I mean… literally. Your tail is magical. Like Faerie wings.”

Bluet looked up at her. “Fairy wings?  What are those?”

Demi’shi cocked her head. “Oh, you do not know, I am sorry. Our kind, the people... that live up here, we are Faeries. And like you, we are… filled—” she interrupted herself, “filled?  Strange word. We are… born with magic. For us, it is our wings.” She stood up from the pier, took a few steps back, and closed her eyes.  Demi’shi stretched out her hands, and with a few gentle sparks of the same kind of light, a pair of wings, radiant white and gold, fluttered out from behind her back.  

Bluet looked up at her with an entirely new sense of wonder.  She had always known that Demi’shi could not be a Mermaid, her ears, her face, were all too pointed; and Bluet could only guess that she didn’t even have gills.  The thought that Demi’shi would have to be something else entirely had _never_ crossed her mind before this moment.  But looking up at her, with wings like beams of starlight fluttering behind her, her clothes blowing softly in the sea breeze, it all made sense, and it was all, so… “Beautiful…”  Demi’shi smiled, that same warm, honest smile that Bluet had always fallen for.  “Um…” Bluet paused.  “This will sound weird.  But can I touch them?”

Demi’shi’s eyes widened in surprise, but she knelt down on the pier next to Bluet.  Bluet ran her hands over their surface.  It was if they were made of light itself, glowing golden, sometimes sparking, striated with white circles and lines, but somehow icy cold to the touch.  Demi’shi laughed softly.  “I’m sorry, this is very strange for me.”

Bluet pulled her hands away.  “Sorry!  It’s just—”

“It is okay,” Demi’shi said, “it is new.  But I must show to you your surprise, yes?”

Bluet clapped her hands together.  “Yes, of course!”

Demi’shi jumped up from the pier, faster than Bluet would have expected possible, and dashed into the house.  Bluet couldn’t help but watch the way her wings fluttered behind her as she ran.  But Demi’shi was quick to return from the house with a book in her hands.  “What is it you said?  Ta-da!”

Bluet took the book into her hands, looking down at its surprisingly fresh cover.  It smelled unusual to her, but she could only imagine this is what new books smelled like.  “What is this?”

“Language book!  Like mine!”  Demi’shi said.  “Now we can… both speak to each other.”

Bluet stared down at the cover, finely engraved with floral patterns, animals, and stars.  “But I live underwater, Demi’shi.  This won’t last a day, right?”

Demi’shi grinned.  “Mine would not.  But your surprise is special.  I… spoke to a friend of Fara’s.  He… performed magic on the book.  It is… safe from water now.”

Bluet smiled brightly.  “Demi’shi, I don’t know what to say!  Thank you, thank you!”  She wrapped the girl in a hug, barely remembering to be careful of her wings.  Her eyes were closed too tightly to see Demi’shi’s face, but after a pause, she felt the girl’s hands touch her shoulders in kind.  Bluet pulled away from the embrace, turning back to the book.  “Now I really _can_ be an ambassador,” she said with a grin, as she opened up the cover of the book.  But looking down at the page, her smile fell.  The book was not composed at all like Mermaic texts, images construed into spoken word.  The Faerie writing system was cluttered and scrawling, a uniform jumble of sweeps and lines.  In the bottom left corner was a note, written elegantly by hand, but somehow even more difficult to decipher.  Bluet sighed.  “Demi’shi, I am sorry.  I don’t understand this.  Mermaids don’t have—”

“An alphabet,” Demi’shi finished.  “Oh, Bluet, I am so sorry, I did not know this.”  She sighed.  “I suppose this… ruins my surprise then.”  

Bluet couldn’t bear to see the way Demi’shi’s spirit broke down.  “No, of course not!  It’s still beautiful, I love it.”  When Demi’shi didn’t respond, she took a deep breath for courage, and placed a hand on Demi’shi’s shoulder.  “Demi’shi?”  The girl looked up.  “If it helps you, I will sleep with this book next to me every night.”

Demi’shi laughed quietly.  “You are kind, Bluet.  Thank you.”

The two of them sat on the edge of the pier for a moment.  “Actually,” Bluet said, “I may have a better idea.”

Demi’shi looked up at her.  She didn’t respond, but Bluet could read ‘go on’ in her eyes.  “Do you know when your Fara will need you inside?” Bluet said.

Demi’shi looked behind her, into the house and its warm lantern light.  “Not surely.  Only when it is dark.”

“We have time, then!  I want you to teach me,” Bluet said.

Demi’shi’s eyes widened.  “I mean, the Roadan alphabet is not a… hard one, but Bluet, I am not a… good teacher.”  

“That’s okay!” Bluet said, “I’ll just try hard to be a good student.  You’ve already worked really hard to talk to me, and that means a lot.  I want to do the same thing for you.  Besides, Tuep always told me I was good with words.”

Demi’shi looked up into Bluet’s eyes, then down at the book.  “Okay, I will try.”  She laid down on the pier, and tapped her hand on the open space next to her.  “Sit.”  Bluet kneeled on the dock, the wooden boards cutting into her knees.  Demi’shi opened up to the back of the book, where a couple of the pages, only slightly faded and tanned, were left blank.  “Okay, let me see.”  She laughed to herself.  “I do not know how to start, this is strange.  Okay.  I will write out all our… letters, like… this… and then I will tell them to you.”  She pulled a pen of thin, black coal from the back flap of the book, and her hand flew across the two pages in the back, leaving that same tangled mess of lines on the parchment.  She pointed to a letter which swooped up, then down. “This one is the letter number one, we call it Aloop.  It makes an ‘ah’ sound when by itself.  Here… it is in ‘Awin’, and here in ‘Amel’.   Mostly, this is Aloop’s only sound, but if you place _this_ letter after it, Il, then that makes a sound like in ‘Mai’, or ‘Aibon’.  Here, you try.”  She held out the pen to Bluet, who stared down at it.  

Bluet picked up the little stick of coal, hamfistedly at first. Demi’shi smiled.  “Na, na.  May I show you?” Bluet nodded, and Demi’shi gently grabbed her hand, pulling each of her fingers into place.  “You have to hold it with care, like this.  A pen is like... something precious. Not like a weapon.”

Bluet looked away from the pen in her hand, and up at Demi’shi.  She was so gentle with everything she did, the way she still had to periodically open her own little booklet of words, the way her hands so delicately guided Bluet’s across nothing more than a length of burnt wood, the way she smiled, and her eyes crinkled up underneath, even when it wasn't a very wide smile.  Like something precious, hmm?  She could totally do it, she thought to herself, just pull the girl a little closer to her; stars above, that'd be smooth. But immediately the warnings went off in her head, ‘too soon, too soon!’  Honestly, Bluet wasn't sure if Demi’shi even liked girls, and that could end in disaster. Instead, Bluet contented herself with a seat slightly nearer to Demi’shi and the book.  Baby steps.

There were quite a few more letters for her to learn, Bak, Cataf, Dyrek, and the list kept going.  Bluet would write them off to the side, slow and shaky, Demi’shi would smile and applaud every little success, making notes whenever Bluet wrote a letter starting from the top instead of the bottom, or wrote a dot where a dash should be.  But all in all, Demi’shi seemed very happy with the whole affair.  And every time Bluet heard her voice light up with every new mark, she couldn't help but be happy too. “Your friend was right,” Demi’shi said, “you are good at this.”

“I just have a really good teacher,” Bluet said, hoping that somehow she didn't come across as cocky.  Demi’shi smiled, and Bluet breathed a small sigh of relief.  Demi’shi looked down at the booklet, then up at the sky, which had faded into deep blue without their notice. She sighed. “It is almost too dark to see the page,” she said, “surely Fara will call soon.”

“It’s okay, I can go,” Bluet said.  “You've had me around long enough.”

“I don't want you to go.” Demi’shi said.

Bluet could feel her face go red, all the while her heart felt like it was trying to take off into the air on wings of its own, and leave her behind. “What about your Fara?”

Demi’shi looked back into the house, the old familiar glow resounding from inside. “No, you are right,” Demi’shi said.  “I will let you go. But don't forget to practice your letters, yes?  Fara always taught me by making me use them for everything. I think that will help you too, just write _whenever_ you can.”

“I promise,” Bluet replied.

“Good, good.” Demi’shi said.  But somehow, Bluet thought she didn't seem completely herself.  She wasn't used to seeing her this sad.  Bluet took a deep breath, preparing herself to say something completely stupid.  “Hey,” Bluet said, and Demi’shi looked back towards her. “I'll miss you.”

Demi’shi smiled, and looked back down at the pier. “I'll miss you too, Bluet.”  

Bluet couldn't shake the feeling of having one last thing to do, or to say.  But if she didn't leave now, she had a feeling she'd never be able to. She jumped from the dock into the sea, which somehow was _much_ colder than she had expected, and with a final wave goodbye, she dipped under the waves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it occurs to me after uploading these first two chapters that both are significantly longer than chapters of an AO3 story tend to be. I do have plans to divide what you've read so far into three or four more palatable bites in the near future, but be advised that if you see an update soon, it might not mean new content, just this change. 
> 
> I'm trying to avoid uploading new content here until I can actually write out new content at an equal rate, and inspiration is a little bit lower at my point of the story (the sixth chapter), but I do have an end in sight. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! Like I've said, this story is still very much in progress, so if you have any feedback or criticisms, please let me know! Chances are they'll make it into the story at some point. 
> 
> —Glutuip Gapa'ar


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the end of our last Chapter, Bluet finally received the key to unlocking her mystery girl's culture and language. But it turns out this riddle will take a little more time to crack than either of them expected. And in the meantime, Bluet starts to realize that she won't be able to keep this double life a secret forever.

Later that morning, Bluet sat on the floor of her patch of the cave, running her fingers across the front of the book.  The leather was engraved around the edges with a floral pattern. At first, she had assumed this to be some kind of kelp or another seaweed, but looking back, she could see the inspiration it drew from the flora of… what was the word the up-highers used?  Alradan? Whatever the name, the leaves were all larger and sharper than they ever got down here. In the center of the cover was a beautiful Faerie woman, adorned like royalty. She had robes all the way to the floor, like the fins of a lionfish, but longer and rounded on the edges.  But what was most intriguing of all was on the bottom corners of the cover. Two massive heads, narrow, but full of hundreds of tiny teeth. Even through the leather, each of them stared back with beady, hollow eyes. This was like nothing she'd ever seen before. 

She opened up the book to its first page. The writing was not so dense here, only a single paragraph in the center of the page, and Demi’shi’s little note in the corner. Bluet could remember the first two letters, for sure, maybe the two after that if she tried hard enough.  She pulled her charcoal pen from the back of the book, and marked down every Aloop and Bak she could find. But she found that the note was no more legible than when she started. 

“---a b---- --- ---a--a-a a-- -a- -- --a-- ---a -ba --- ---

\-------”

She sighed. This was hopeless. If she didn't figure something out soon, she'd be making Demi’shi speak out of a book forever, and that was not an impression she wanted to make. 

Bluet jumped at the sound of a knock on the wall. Her mara peeked her head into the room. “Bluet, sweetie?  You've been in bed all morning, it’s time to get started on your day.”

Bluet nodded, setting her book onto the countertop. “Mmhmm. I'll get on it, thanks.”

Mara swam into the room and examined the book.  “What’s this?”

Bluet froze.  “Um… it’s a gift.  From Tuep!” she said. That wasn't too far fetched, right?  She and Tuep gave each other little things all the time. “It came from Al… El… from up-high; her father gave it to her.”

Mara flipped through the pages. “What a strange contraption…” She set the book gingerly back down on the counter. “Well, I don't want to invade your privacy.  But it is pretty, Tuep has a good eye.”

Bluet smiled, not too widely, she hoped. “Yeah, she really does!”

Mara smiled in response. “Alright.  I’ll see you downstairs in a moment, then.” She swept out of the room, and Bluet heaved a sigh of relief. But as she swam into the house below, Bluet’s mother couldn't help but grin. Last she remembered, Bluet didn't sleep with any of Tuep’s gifts next to her like that.  But they had been seeing each other a lot more often lately. Maybe… no, it wasn't her place to be nosy like that. But it would be wonderful to see her daughter find happiness for herself. And it would also explain why she never seemed to get any sleep anymore.

* * *

 

It was late that evening when Bluet’s head popped out of the water in front of Demi’shi’s house.  Moonlight dappled the water all around her, but she only noticed now that the moons seemed to look different here too.  The Spotted Sister was much higher in the sky than at home, perhaps that was to be expected. The Entrenched was in a different part of the sky entirely.  But when she broke her gaze from the sky, and down to the house on the water, she noticed something stranger still. Demi’shi was nowhere to be seen. Except for the night they had first met, Bluet couldn’t remember seeing her any place other than on the end of the pier.  Of course, it made sense that she wouldn't _ always  _ be there waiting for her.  But somehow Bluet had never prepared for that possibility. 

She swam up to the end of the pier, climbing up onto the nearby rock to look into the house.   It was well lit, as usual. Now that she looked more closely inside, she could see a large string instrument propped up in the corner.  The walls it leaned against were deep hues of red and green, a stark contrast from the muted greys of the cave walls of her town. As if this wasn’t enough dazzle, some sort of parchment hung from the walls.  But as far as she could tell, they didn’t tell any kind of story like the writings from home, there was only one picture for each of these frames. The one closest to her was a picture of… something brightly colored in a bowl.  Food, perhaps? Very strange. But as her eyes wandered across the room, she noticed noise in the house for the first time. 

She held her breath, hoping to better hear what happened inside. A door opened. Brisk, but heavy feet walked into the room.  A moment passed, and Bluet heard a gentle swishing noise before the sound of the door closing. There were voices now, the first sharp and thick like Demi’shi’s, but stronger.  That was the voice that had shouted at her on her first night on the beach. Demi’shi’s father. In response came another voice, very loud and vibrant. He spoke the same language, but somehow the tone of it was so very different. They words didn't jump up and down like Demi’shi’s did, but fell at their ends like a hammer on metal. She could hear the footsteps again. They were coming closer. 

Bluet jumped from the top of the rock, peeking just her eyes over the edge of the pier. The first stepped into the open room with two long strides.  He was tall, with the same sharpness all about him that Demi’shi made look much more beautiful, but was still an impressive sight on anyone. His wings flickered behind him, perhaps as some kind of display to the other voice in the room.  She heard the swooshing steps again, and not one, but two more figures in floor length robes emerged into the open room. One was short, and had skin that was nearly red in color. He was heavy-set for his size, no. Bloated, almost. This one traded a remark with Demi’shi’s father, speaking again in that hammer-like voice.  The other was taller even than Demi’shi’s father, but had a complexion and a figure fit for a ghost, and long black hair. Thus far he had been silent, only looking around at everything inside the house with a distant curiosity. What were these people? They were not Faeries, that was certain. But they didn't speak anything like Merfolk either. 

The smaller man spoke again.  His speech was too quick for Bluet to translate, even if she knew more than 5 words of the language by heart, but his tone and expression indicated that he was impressed. 

The Faerie responded with a politician's smile.  He spoke for some time after that, making gestures out towards the water every now and again. 

But then, the taller stranger walked up from behind, with barely a sound. “Wul oba gut thi Ikra’an?  Chos stagros?” the man said, in a voice soft but somehow tangible far above the others.

The smile of Demi’shi’s father never left his face, but Bluet could see it crack slightly under the pressure of this question.  He cleared his throat and spoke, waving away any concern with a swish of his hand. His two guests did not respond, but both nodded considerately, and the three of them returned into the house.  The Faerie turned to his right. Bluet could hear Demi’shi’s voice from just outside her field of vision. She sounded so quiet. Was it just the sound of her voice filtering through the walls, or was something different?  Bluet saw her step behind her father and scamper past into some other part of the house.

Bluet swam over to the other side of the bungalow to see a few windows gazing out over the water. But there were no rocks to climb onto here, or anything that could get her closer to the level of the house. “ _ Psst _ !  Hey!  Demi’shi!” she hissed up at the window. No response.  She craned her head back to look up at the windowsill. Nope. Definitely too far to jump. There had to be some other way to get her attention.  Bluet dove down beneath the surf and picked up a small rock from the bottom. Better grab a few, she thought, just in case. She threw one towards the house, and it landed with far too loud of a bang against the outside wall.  Some of the noise inside stopped. The ambassadors. If Demi’shi’s father caught her out here again, much less throwing  _ rocks  _ at the house, Bluet didn't think she'd ever be able to come back. She dipped her head halfway below the surface and waited.  After a moment of silence, she could hear the voices pick up their conversation again. But Demi’shi’s room was still completely quiet.  She grabbed a second rock, and lined up to toss it just past the window. Hopefully the splash of the rock would be enough this time. But just as the stone flew from her hand, the shutters opened up, and Demi’shi poked her head outside, only to jump back inside when the rock narrowly missed her face.  She turned to follow the trajectory of her assailant, only to find Bluet hiding her face in the water. “Sorry!” Bluet whispered, “Are you okay?”

Demi’shi nodded, but still seemed a fazed by the close brush.  “Bluet! Hi!” she whispered quickly. She paced around, looking for something in the room before she disappeared from the window sill. After a second, she returned with the old book. “I am good!  You always surprise me, is all.”

Bluet grinned.  “No way I’m missing a visit with my friend.”  Was that too much? 

Demi’shi smiled back.  “I will meet you... downstairs!  Let me get past Patri again.” 

Bluet nodded, and the girl disappeared into the house. Bluet grabbed her book from the sea bottom and darted back to the other side of the house.  She found that after enough attempts she could jump onto the end of the pier, but getting past that point was much harder with her tail still draped awkwardly over the side.  When Demi’shi stepped out onto the dock, Bluet couldn't help but think she must look like catch of the day to her. Demi’shi was kind enough not to say anything as she helped her up onto the deck, but Bluet had to laugh. “Edra!” she said, their word for thank you, if she remembered right.  “I’m lucky you’re strong.”

Demi’shi rolled her eyes.  “You are funny, Bluet.”

“I’m serious!” Bluet said, “this isn't the first time you've pulled me up places, and I know I'm  _ way  _ heavier than you are.”

Demi’shi smiled, “Bluet, don't talk like that, you are beautiful.”

“Oh, it's not a put down, just a fact,” Bluet said.  But to hear something like that from Demi’shi always made her heart flutter. “So,” she continued, “are you doing okay?  I saw you and Fara talking earlier. You seemed quieter than usual.”

“Oh, yes,” Demi’shi said, “I just don't like to mess with his work.  I find it… uncomfortable to stand near and do nothing when he is talking of politics, so I keep away.” She chuckled to herself. “You are... lucky, actually.  You hear more than my usual.”

“Who were those people he was talking to?” Bluet said.

“Ambassadors to a very far away people; they are the Vampires.  It was their magic that let us open the portals.” She smiled. “I guess it was their magic that let me meet you.”

“What is a Vampire?” Bluet said.

Demi’shi rested her head on her hands.  “Where to start,” she said to herself. “Aldurin has many different races. There are the Merfolk, and the Faeries, you know now, but there are others too. The Vampires are one of these, very long-lived, stronger and faster than… normal people. But their power came from… dark magic.  They had to eat other people to be strong. That is why it is… not normal to talk to them. People are scared. But they are… different these days, I think. Now,” she said, taking Bluet’s copy of their translation book, “where did we stop?”

“Actually, I wanted to ask you something,” Bluet said, flipping back to the cover. “What are these?  I recognized the coral, and the Faerie, but I've never seen these before.”

Demi’shi smiled. “You have a good eye for the… scary things.  This is a Dragon. There are many different Dragons, but this is a Faerie Dragon. The old word is ‘Kerfuffle’.”

Bluet couldn't help but laugh. “That seems like a funny name for a Dragon.”

“Actually, it is very… what is a word?  Meaningful? Poetic!” she said. “The name, as I said, is an old word from the language of Humans, it means to be in… state of worry. And that is… exactly what the Dragon does. They eat magic, and behind them, they leave this… path of fear and sadness. This is part of why we have ambassadors here. The Dragons may eat magic out of the portals. We need to know how to fix this, but in their homeland Dragons like this do not live. No one is sure what to do.”

Bluet found herself dumbstruck. How do you respond to something like that, ‘monsters are closing in on our gateways to devour them’?  “Would they hurt you?”

“I do not think so,” Demi’shi said, “the Dragons do not harm our people, even Kerfuffles. But then, they  _ are  _ Dragons. They are… hard to know.”

Bluet couldn't help but remember Mara's tales of the Mermaid princesses of old. “Sounds like life is scarier up here than I thought,” she said. 

Demi’shi nodded. “Sometimes I think so too.” She turned to look at Bluet. “Why did you come, then?”

“Well… at first I wanted to explore. Mara's had a hard time keeping me from going places since I was young. I'd heard so many stories about this place.  When the portals opened up, I had to see it myself. But I think that first night stranded up here scared the explorer right out of me.”

Demi’shi giggled. “I see how that would change you.”

Bluet smiled. Stars above, she had such a cute laugh. “Yeah.  I've always wanted to go places that were new before this. But now…” Bluet paused to remind herself to breathe, “I have something to come back to.”

Demi’shi laughed, and looked down at the pier, “Bluet, I never understand how you think so much of me.”

“Well, first off, you kept me from  _ dying _ a hundred miles away from home, so maybe I'm a little biased.  But I mean, beyond that, you’re sweet, and considerate, you’re smart, and  _ really  _ pretty, and—I’m sorry, I should really stop.” Demi’shi didn't say a word, but only looked at Bluet with a wide-eyed expression. “Was that weird?” Bluet said. 

“Na, na, it is okay,” Demi’shi said, “just… no one but Fara has said such kind things to me before.  In honesty, it is hard for me to believe. But if it were anyone, I should know it would be you. You are always full of surprises.” She smiled.  “But I am very happy for it. Now come, we have put letters off long enough, yes?”

Bluet stood slowly on shaky legs and laid down next to Demi’shi on the pier.  They had to start over from Dyrek again, as Bluet hadn't yet found a good way to practice her letters yet. Fortunately, Bluet was quickly able to catch up.  But after a moment, she found herself getting increasingly distracted again. Had Demi’shi moved closer, or had Bluet done that accidently? Bluet was all of a sudden acutely aware of how the wind no longer blew against one side, and the way their feet would sometimes bump into one another.  The two of them had made it through all the letters up to Levda before Demi’shi asked “Bluet, are you well?”

“Huh?” Bluet responded, “Oh, yeah, no, I’m fine.”

Demi’shi cocked her head.  “I do not understand. Are you fine, or no?”

Bluet paused to take a deep breath and try again.  “Yes, Demi’shi, I am fine. I'm sorry to confuse you. Why do you ask?”

Demi’shi touched her arm. “You have goosebumps. And your face is red.”

Bluet looked down at her arm, its hairs standing at attention in a most peculiar fashion. Bluet didn't need any proof of Demi’shi’s other observation. “Huh. I guess you're right.”

“Are you cold?” Demi’shi asked, “maybe I can find something inside.”

“No, I’m not cold, it’s okay,” Bluet said, “it's just…”  Well, what just was it? Or what could she say? ‘I can't focus because you're super cute, and I kind of wish I could kiss you’?  ‘I've never felt this way about anybody before, I'm still adjusting to the giddiness’? Certainly none of those would work. “It’s just that I’m not used to being…” she sighed, “What's the word?  When you come out of water, the water sticks to you for a while, but after a moment it disappears, is there a word for that?”

“You mean dry?” Demi’shi asked. 

“Yes!  I'm not used to being dry!” Bluet said.  And to an extent, that was true. To an extent. 

Demi’shi looked up at the night sky.  “It  _ has _ been long.  Should you go?”

“Probably,” Bluet said, “Mara might even be awake by now.”

“Is your mara waiting for you?” Demi’shi said. 

“Well… kind of,” Bluet replied, “she doesn't know I'm here.”

“You've been running from home?”

“Well…” Bluet said again, “more like sneaking out?”

Demi’shi gasped. “Bluet, if your mara hears you have been… sneaking out to see me, what will she think of me?  She will think I am trouble!”

“I know, I know,” Bluet said, “my friend and I are both figuring something out, I promise.”

“You do not have to… figure anything,” Demi’shi said, “just tell her.  I am sure she will understand.”

Bluet sat silent next to her.  “Okay. I'll tell her.” She attempted a smile.  “Wish me luck, okay?”

Demi’shi grinned.  “You will be fine, I tell you.”

“See you tomorrow, then?” Bluet said. 

Demi’shi cocked her head.  “I do not understand, see you… tomorrow?”

“Next day,” Bluet said, “Tomorrow is our word for next day.”

Demi’shi laughed. “I am sorry. Yes, I will see you… tom- _ or _ -ow?  Is that right?”

“That's great!” Bluet said, “a lot better than I can do.” Demi’shi smiled, and Bluet felt a sigh catch in her throat. Why did saying goodbye always have to be so hard?  She took a deep breath, dipped her toes over the side of the pier, and vanished into the water once again.

* * *

 

“Bluet, it sounds like you're doing amazing!” Tuep said.  It was early in the morning now, but today was a foraging day for Bluet, which meant she'd have plenty of time to get her work done. It was fortunate that Tuep had agreed to come along for the day. Bluet felt like she had to tell  _ somebody _ all of this.

“I just can't believe my luck,” Bluet said, “I just say the first thing that comes into my dumb, awkward head, if I'm brave enough; usually I'm not. But I feel like she doesn't even know!  She always seems surprised, but I just don't understand how she can't see just how… argh, Tuep, I don't even know!"

“Ah, Bluet, the ever masterful poet…”

“Oh, shut up,” Bluet replied.

Tuep giggled. “At least things are going well!”

“That's certainly the good news,” Bluet said, “but it gets worse. She said she doesn't want to be a secret anymore. I'm supposed to tell Mara about her.”

“Oh.” She and Bluet both sat silent. “So what are you gonna do?”

“What else can I do, Tuep?  I have to tell her!”

“ _ Or _ ,” Tuep said, “or you could not do that.  We wanted a plan, remember? We can still think of something!  Maybe we can pretend you've been dating  _ me _ this whole time, or there’s some other girl—no, then we'd have to convince someone else to go along. Okay, so maybe you've got some top secret project out in the kelp forest, or, I don't know,  _ something _ !”

“No, Demi’shi’s right,” Bluet said, “even if it's not because of her.  If I wait I'll only get in more trouble. I need to tell Mara.”

* * *

 

Bluet sat just outside the door to her home later that evening. She'd spent the last twenty minutes alternating between states of ‘okay, you can do this’ and ‘what am I doing?  I can't do this’. But it was getting too late in the day to wait much longer. She took a deep breath. It occurred to her that she had been taking a lot of deep breaths lately. And she swam through the door.  

Mara immediately noticed her return. “Bluet, where have you been?” she said, “I was starting to get worried.”

“Sorry, Mara. Just thinking,” Bluet said. 

Mara set down the tablet in her hands.  “Sweetheart, is something wrong?”

Bluet stared down at her hands.  “Nothing’s wrong, no. But I need to talk to you.”  Bluet took another breath. “Can we sit down?” Mara nodded, and they both sat on a little shelf of rock in the middle of the cave.  “Do you remember that book I got a little while ago?” Bluet said.

“Of course, Tuep’s present,” Mara said, “are you sure everything’s okay?  You look just like you did when you broke our priceless prismarine lamp ages ago.”

“Well… it’s not from Tuep.  I—” her voice faltered. “I went through the gate to the up-high.  I know you said it was dangerous, but I was upset, and a little angry, I wanted to see it for myself, I just thought that maybe if I could, you’d change your mind.”

“Bluet…”

“I know, I know, I shouldn’t have, I’m sorry.  I almost got stuck forever out there, I should have listened to you—”

“Bluet, sweetie, it’s okay, stop worrying.”  Mara gently put her hands on Bluet’s shoulders.

“You’re not mad?”  Bluet said.

“No, Bluet, I’m not angry,” Mara said.  “I’m upset that you’ve been deliberately going behind my back, and as your mother, I do have to address that.  But I never want you to feel like you have to hide anything from me, Little Blue.” She squeezed Bluet a little tighter.  “I’m glad you were honest with me, I’m proud of you.” Bluet tried to smile at her, but she could only manage a quiet little sniffle.  “But I still don’t understand,” Mara said, “what does this have to do with the book?”

“It's from... a friend up there. We met on my first night.  She practically saved my life, Mara. I didn't plan on going back after the first time, but I  _ had _ to see her again.” Bluet could feel tears fighting to come bubbling out again. “Mara, I know I disobeyed you, and I'm sorry, I'll do whatever you want, but  _ please _ , don't make me leave her behind.”

“Bluet, it's okay,” Mara said. “I may be old and grumpy, but I'm not cruel.  I'm not gonna take a friend from you.” Bluet sat latched onto her, sobbing quietly into the embrace. “Is this friend special to you?” her mara said, when Bluet had quieted down. 

Bluet sniffled, and nodded. “She's incredible, Mara.” She laughed.  “I think you'd love her.”

Mara smiled.  “Well, I guess that means I'll have to see, won't I?”

Bluet looked up at her, confused. “What?”

“If this girl’s as special as you make her sound, and if you think I'd like her, I want to meet her too,” Mara said.  “Besides, I've got to make sure she's right for my little girl. Is that okay?”

Bluet smiled. “Yeah, I'd like that.  Um. I've been seeing her every evening. When it gets completely dark here, that's when the light starts to fade in their part of the world.”

Mara laughed.  “Every evening?  I don't know if I should be impressed, or concerned.   But you let me know when you’re ready to leave, Bluet. I guess it’ll have to be fairly soon, it’s already starting to get dark.  I’ll let you have some time alone.”

Bluet nodded, and swam away to her little enclave of the house.  She wanted to thank Mara somehow. At least say ‘I love you’ or ‘I appreciate you’.  But Bluet found she never quite had the courage at moments like this. Instead, she picked up Demi’shi’s book from the floor, opening up to her note in the beginning.  Even with a few of the letters from yesterday added in, the note was still unclear. But she could make out enough to tell that it wasn't her language. Bluet set the book back down.  She decided she had just about enough of puzzles for the time being. Instead, she curled up on the rock outcropping, hoping to grab some rest before the trip out.

* * *

 

Moonlight drifted through a hole in the roof of the den. Tiny flecks of plankton and algae floating through the water danced underneath its glow. Bluet’s eyes fluttered open as the light crept closer to her bed. It was later than she would have hoped for. Hopefully Mara would still wake up. Or would it be better just to go alone? 

Bluet grabbed her seashell bra, and floated quietly down into the house. “Mom?” she whispered into the empty house, “are you awake?” The house was quiet as a ghostfish. Bluet thought she could hear snoring coming from the other room. She entered, and found Mara sprawled out on an algae covered patch of rock jutting from the floor. Bluet touched her shoulder. “Mara?” 

Bluet’s mother woke with a start. She sighed, “Oh, Bluet, I'm sorry.  I had meant to wait up for you, is it already time to go?”

Bluet nodded. “It's alright,” she said, “I fell asleep too.”

“Bluet, what is that on your chest?” Mara said.

Bluet looked down at the collection of shells. “Oh, this is something that the Faeries do… or, something like it.  I'm still not quite sure why.”

“Do I need to do something?” Mara said, “maybe grab some kelp?  Oh, stars, I hope not, that sounds awful.”

Bluet grinned. “Mara, you’re fine. This girl's seen worse.”

“Seen worse, what does that mean, young lady?” Mara said with a yawn, as they both swept out the entrance. “I'll have you know I used to be a charming young girl too, once!”

Bluet laughed.  “Mara, that's not what I meant!” They soon reached the ring of light down below the rest of the reef. Through the other side, the world above glimmered like it was viewed through a thick pane of glass. Bluet looked back at Mara.  “Are you gonna be okay?”

“Of course, Bluet,” Mara said, “but there is something I need to know, it doesn’t hurt, does it?”

Bluet smiled. “That's what I thought too, but you'll be fine.  Do you want to go at the same time?” Mara nodded, and Bluet grabbed her hand, pulling them both through to the other side. With the flash of white in their eyes, they both found themselves in the shallow shores, looking up at a pale blue sky. 

Bluet looked over at Mara, who was staring up at the sky. “Wasn't it just the middle of the night?” Mara said.  “How is it still evening here?”

“You know,” Bluet said, “I still don't know.  But that's not even the weirdest part, look that way!”

Mara turned to look where Bluet had pointed, and gasped. “Bluet!  It's so… what is it?”

“Green,” Bluet said with a giggle, “those are called  _ trees _ .”

“Oh, how exciting!” Mara said, “are we going that way?”

“Not that way,” she said, “look, over there.” She pointed again, this time to the distant amber torch glow that marked Demi’shi’s home. “Actually, maybe I should talk to her first. I didn't tell her you would be coming. Can you wait here?”

“Of course!” Mara replied

“Be careful not to get stuck on the sand!” Bluet said. 

“Wait, how do I do that?” Mara asked, but Bluet was already swimming away towards the distant house on the water. And in the glow of the torchlight, she could see Demi’shi was already waiting. 

“Bluet!  I am happy to see you,” she said. “You seem… excited.”

“Well,” Bluet said, “I spoke with… Matri?  Is that your word?”

Demi’shi grinned, and nodded. “And all went good, I think?”

“Maybe not  _ all  _ good,” Bluet said, looking up at Demi’shi, “I’m not allowed to come back for a few days.”

Demi’shi looked surprised. “Oh. Bluet, I am sorry. I did not know this would... happen.”

Bluet smiled. “It's okay, Demi’shi, I don't blame you. It probably would have happened anyway, and been a lot worse if I hadn't said anything.  I really should thank you.” She carefully considered her next words. “But, um… I told her about you. And she seemed really excited to meet you.”

Demi’shi smiled. “Me?”

“You don't always have to sound so surprised,” Bluet said with a laugh, “is it okay if I introduce you?”

“Oh, yes!” Demi’shi said. “Do I look okay?  I did not expect an… audience.”

Bluet smiled.  “Demi’shi, you know you don’t have to ask, of course you do.  I’ll be back in a second; I need to make sure she didn’t get stuck too!”

“Wait, Bluet, I need to…” But before Demi’shi could find the word, Bluet was streaking away through the water again. “Mara!” she shouted, as soon as she was away from the house, “come on!” At first, there was no response. “You're not stuck, are you?” Bluet said. 

“No, no, I'm alright!” Mara replied, from a little farther down the shore than before, “just taking in the view.”

Bluet laughed. “Didn't I tell you?  It's incredible up here. But come on, we can look at that later!”   Bluet grabbed her Mara’s hand and pulled her towards the shore. 

“People live in these?” Mara said, as they approached the house on the water. “How did they even get here?”

“Mara, there's a person here  _ right now _ …” Bluet said, nodding her head towards the girl on the dock, who was patting down her dress.

“Oh, gracious!” Mara said, “you must be Bluet’s friend, it is so nice to finally meet you after all this recent trouble.”

Demi’shi stared dumbstruck down at the woman in the water. She turned to Bluet. “Oba?” 

“She says it is good to meet you,” Bluet repeated, a little slower. “This is my Mara, her name is Suen.”

“Ah!” Demi’shi replied, “I am sorry, Fet Suen, I am not quick to understand.”

“No, no, sweetie, it's fine!” Mara said, “I'm sorry, I always talk so fast.”  She leaned down to Bluet. “Is that their word for Mara?”

“I don't think so?” Bluet replied. “I  _ really  _ don’t know most of the time.”

“Bluet, I want to tell you something!” Demi’shi said, “Come see!” 

Bluet turned to look at Mara, hoping for the right response.  Mara sighed, and nodded. “We can’t stay long, though.” 

Bluet smiled, and silently mouthed a thank you in response.  She jumped out of the water up onto the edge of the pier, careful to keep a little bit of her tail in the water as Demi’shi helped pull her the rest of the way. Bluet giggled. “I really need a better way to get up here.” As much as she tried not to make a big deal out of it, it felt embarrassing to flounder onto the deck like a fish out of water every time she came around. 

“Bluet, you are fine,” Demi’shi said. “You do not have to be so worried all the time.” She grinned. “But perhaps I will make stairs or something, if it helps.”

Bluet laughed, even though she wasn't completely sure what stairs were.  “So, what did you want to tell me?”

“Oh, yes!” Demi'shi said. But then she stopped, and looked down at the dock, her hands fidgeting with each other.  Bluet couldn't help but find this to be very strange. Demi'shi usually always seemed so sure of herself, even if she was quiet most of the time.  “My patri is going away for some weeks, to a land called Corithia.” She laughed softly. “Actually, to the island I was named for.” 

Bluet cocked her head. “Corithia?  But that doesn't sound anything like your name.”

Demi’shi smiled, “No, sorry. There is an island east of Corithia, it too is Demi’shi.  The name means “little nut”. Patri had just… come home from there, when I was born.” Demi’shi chuckled. “I think I have been a little nuts ever since.  Oh, but that is not the point, sorry. He will be gone for some time, as he often is. And often he will have someone there, or just trust me with the home, but, um… I hoped… I was hoping I could see you more. Perhaps you could stay a night, if your mara said, but then, with how things are now, perhaps it would be more good if—”

“Demi’shi, slow down,” Bluet said, touching her hands. Demi’shi stopped talking, and looked up at her. “I'd love to spend more time with you. I'll talk to her about it, okay?  As soon as this punishment’s over.”

Demi’shi smiled. From behind them both in the water, Bluet heard Mara's voice. “Bluet, sweetie,” she said quickly, “it's time to go.”  Bluet sighed, then nodded. “Okay. Well, I'll see you in a few days. Okay, Demi’shi?”

Demi’shi nodded. “I will miss you.”

Bluet blushed, staring down at the wooden boards beneath them both. She remembered the time just last week when she had first said that to Demi’shi. It must have been one of their first meetings, but Bluet remembered just how scary it was to say something even so simple. But to hear it back now was… incredible.  Such a simple little thing, but it still struck her right in the heart. “I'll miss you too, Demi’shi,” she replied. 

Maybe she could spare one more little thing?  After seeing her so regularly, Bluet found that talking had become easier, almost natural between them. But still, the timing didn't feel right. Simple, her words may be, but they were big words all the same. And she needed to be absolutely sure they were the right words when the time came. Hopefully she'd know when that time was. Until then, Bluet contented herself with a small grin, as she and Mara waved goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, remember what I said about making chapters shorter? I lied! :'D But nonetheless, I believe that this will still be digestible, even if chapters are getting a little long. Thank you faithful few for the support! Chapter 7 is making good progress, and I finally have a full vision for the story in mind. Things are looking well! But it might still take a little time. In the meantime, I hope this chapter will sate your appetites, or perhaps tease them further, if that's your fancy.
> 
> Happy Mermay!  
> -Glutuip Gapa'ar


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